An approach to teaching with computer games by applying the flow experience Steven Lopes Abrantes Instituto Politécnico de Viseu (Portugal) steven@di.estv.ipv.pt Luís Manuel Borges Gouveia Universidade Fernando Pessoa (Portugal) lmbg@ufp.pt LG 2007 25-September-2007 Main Purpose of the study Verify if games are a way to learn. Verify if the user is feeling the flow experience when using educational games. 1
Educational games and the flow experience A aspect related with the interaction of the users with games has to see with the flow experience introduced by Csikszentmihalyi [1975]. Csikszentmihalyi says that a person who is in the presence of the flow state has the following characteristics: Clear goals and immediate feedback; Equilibrium between the level of challenge and personal skill; Merging of action and awareness; Focused concentration; Sense of potential control; Loss of self-consciousness; Time distortion; Autotelic or self-rewarding experience. Educational games and the flow experience 2
Educational games and the flow experience This study uses five dimensions to define the flow state (Trevino e Webster, 1992; McKenna e Lee,2005) : Control; Attention Focus; Curiosity; Intrinsic Interest. Sense of time The case study A Escola Digital This study involves students from primary school, with ages between five and seven years, in the interaction with the game A Escola Digital. Twenty nine students had participated in this study The survey used five dimensions: Control; Attention Focus; Curiosity; Intrinsic Interest. Sense of time 3
The case study A Escola Digital Questão Dimensão Quando jogava, estava concentrado no jogo e não pensava em outras coisas? Quando jogava, tinha a sensação de que sou eu que tomo as decisões e não o computador? Quando jogava, sentia controlo sobre o jogo? Quando jogo, perco a noção de onde estou? Quando jogo, tenho curiosidade sobre como se joga? Quando joguei, testei as várias possibilidades? Este jogo é útil para eu aprender? Este jogo é divertido? Quando jogo, perco a noção do tempo? Quando jogo, parece que o tempo passa mais depressa? Concentration Control Curiosity Intrinsic Interest Sense of time The case study A Escola Digital Game 1 4
The case study A Escola Digital Game 2 The case study A Escola Digital Game 3 5
The case study A Escola Digital Game 4 The case study A Escola Digital Game 5 6
The case study A Escola Digital The statistical treatment of the data and the respective procedure : Descriptive Statistics of the variables in the study; Evaluation of the index of internal consistency (Cronbach s alpha) for the dimensions of the flow experience Correlation between the variables of the flow; Factor analysis in order to reduce the number of variables The case study A Escola Digital Descriptive Statistics of the variables in the study In this study we verified: 58,6% males; 79,3% had 6 years; 44,8 and 34,5 % had classifications between têm Satisfactory and Good ; 79,3 had interest for computers ; 100% like to play computer games; 65,2 pass little time per day playing ; 79,3 play at home and 50% at school; 44,8% like mathematics very much ; Only 3,4% disagree that mathematics is a easy course; 7
The case study A Escola Digital Correlation Games Correlation Value Type of Correlation 1 Attention Focus and Curiosity 0.7 2 Attention Focus and Curiosity 0.598 Moderate 2 Attention Focus and Control 0.886 2 Intrinsic Interest and sense of time 0.656 3 Attention Focus and Control 0.764 3 Attention Focus and Curiosity 0.530 Moderate 3 Intrinsic Interest and sense of time 0.952 3 Control and Curiosity 0.649 4 Attention Focus and Control 0.632 4 Attention Focus and Curiosity 0.646 4 Intrinsic Interest and sense of time 0.711 4 Control and Curiosity 0.573 Moderate 5 Attention Focus and Control 0.635 5 Attention Focus and Curiosity 0.646 5 Intrinsic Interest and sense of time 0.857 5 Control and Curiosity 0.555 Moderate The case study A Escola Digital Factor analysis in order to reduce the number of variables Nesta análise foram retidos dois factores em cada jogo: For the first game, it was verified that the first factor explained 41.57% of the total variation and the second 21.57%, explaining both 63.15%. For the second game, the first factor explains 51.28% and the second 31.02%, explaining the two, 82.3%. The third game, with these factors, 85.56% of the total variation are explained; The forth game, 80.43% The fifth game, 82.556%. 8
The case study A Escola Digital Matrix of components after rotation method Jogo 1 Jogo 2 Jogo 3 Component Component Component 1 2 1 2 1 2 Concentração 0,888 0,204 0,931 0,100 0,850 0,237 Controlo 0,852 0,227 0,928-0,036 0,935 0,004 Curiosidade 0,124 0,818 0,785 0,130 0,816 0,102 Interesse Intrínseco 0,389-0,058-0,118 0,930 0,104 0,984 Distorção Tempo 0,043 0,842 0,304 0,879 0,135 0,975 Jogo 4 Jogo 5 Component Component 1 2 1 2 Concentração 0,865 0,169 0,881 0,118 Controlo 0,863 0,009 0,856-0,022 Curiosidade 0,832 0,174 0,830 0,181 Interesse Intrínseco -0,034 0,951-0,017 0,971 Distorção Tempo 0,337 0,871 0,229 0,942 The case study A Escola Digital Matrix of components after rotation method Factor 1: Focus (Attention Focus, Control and Curiosity) Factor 2: Motivation (Intrinsic Interest and Sense of time) 9
Conclusions The analysis of data allows us to conclude that the majority of the students were males, had six years of age, whose classifications varied between Satisfaction and Good. In relation to the mathematics, a considerable percentage of students liked the course and the majority agreed that mathematics is an easy course. When going further to the analysis of the data, we verified that the variables described all the same characteristic (threw the determination of the cronbhach s alpha). Conclusions From the factor analysis it was possible to isolate two factors Factor 1: Focus (Attention Focus, Control and Curiosity) Factor 2: Motivation (Intrinsic Interest and Sense of time) The majority of the students, in each one of the five games, are in the presence of the flow experience 10